Hi again! Our blog adviser (daughter Amy), suggested that we start a weekly series of visits to places around Auckland that our guests might be interested in visiting - good idea!
So we start with the lovely, historic suburb of Devonport. Home of the NZ Navy!
Devonport is easily reached by car from Haven Homestay or from Auckland City , by ferry, and once here there are a variety of activities to occupy you all day.
You might like to start with a trip up North Head to inspect the beautifully maintained guns from WW2 and explore the tunnels that were used for storage or armaments www.planmyplay.co.nz/play/free-things-to-do-devonport-north-head-tunnels-ww2-military-site. The views over the harbour to the city are one of the most photographed scenes in Auckland.
From the far side of North Head are views of Rangitoto Island and Cheltenham Beach. The beach is a lovely place to take a picnic. You can pick up your picnic supplies from the many food stores in Devonport should you wish to have a relax and a swim or maybe just a lovely walk.
If picnicing is not your thing Devonport has a lovely array of cafes and restaurants, the only problem being which one to eat in! If shopping is your thing then you will be very happy! Do call in to Devonport Chocolates and have a look at their beautiful shop and admire the lovely hand crafted choccies, perhaps spoil yourself too! The art galleries are well worth a look with a faboulous selection on NZ and local art and crafts for sale.
After a relaxing lunch you might like to explore more fully the surrounding area. Devonport has many beautifully renovated old buildings and gardens. The surrounding streets are all fairly flat so if cycling is your thing you can hire a cycle from inside the Devonport Ferry Terminal,www.cylex.co.nz. Walking is very easy though and a walk along the waterfront will bring you to the NZ Naval Museum. This is worth a look if you are a history buff, they also have a very nice cafe for that cuppa you might need after your walk. I might mention admission is by donation!
Well after all that walking and shopping you might like a liquid refreshment and the place to go and watch the world go by is the grand Esplanade Hotel, right on the corner. Its a lovely building, recently renovated and looks like a splendid place for a relaxing drink.
There is so much more to do for a day out in Devonport, go and have a look for yourself, you will have a wonderful day.
I wonder where I will go next week.................
Hello again from Haven Homestay! My lovely husband is despondent at the moment......awwww!
This past year we bought a newer boat so fishing could be accomplished without the drama of damaged shoulders and sore backs, but the fish have all disappeared. This little fellow (quite the legal length I might add) is the only fellow to be eaten so far this year.
We have been fishing a number of times in different harbours to no avail....but he is not on his own as after questioning a number of fellow anglers they are not catching any also. One fellow was reported to have gone five miles out to sea only to catch a couple of fish... now that's what I call expensive eating!
Enough of the fish.... We have a lovely guest Steve, from Colorado staying at the moment. He is busy visiting as many sights as he can before he goes South tomorrow. As I mentioned in my previous blog you can read of his adventures here..www.aroundtheworldwithblade.wordpress.com. His blog is very entertaining and full of photos of his adventures. The latest blog even has a photo of my kitchen, would you believe!
He has been an interesting guest, full of knowledge gained from his extensive travels around the world. We will continue to follow him long after he has left us.............
Happy travels Steve and drive safely!
My goodness how time flies- its been a long time since my last post as you can see!
Last year was a difficult one, with members of the family having health problems. Happily they are mostly resolved now, so we can get back to the job of being B&B hosts here in the lovely Auckland region.
The year has started off in a splendid fashion, with a flurry of bookings and enquiries here at Haven Homestay. We are looking forward to meeting all who are booked and excited at the prospect of being able to help them with their trip in and around Auckland. With new guests in mind, I have been thinking of new breakfast goodies to offer. "Santa" was kind this year and gave me a yogurt maker - so along with homemade museli, preserves and breads, I will now have homemade yogurt to offer guests at breakfast time and I can assure you its yummy!
In the next week or so we are expecting a guest who is on a world trip. He is blogging about his adventures along the way - you can read about them here:www.aroundtheworldwithblade.wordpress.com - we are looking forward to meeting him and hearing of his plans for his trip.
On a sad note we have recently said goodbye to our lovely cat Louie, who sadly passed away just before Christmas. He was a lovely fellow and is missed by us all. No plans for a replacement yet though!
Well that's all for now - I have some bread ready for the oven hmmmmmm...... till the next time.
